SPORTING

Grey River Argus, 11 January 1944, Page 3

SPORTING

TRAINING ITEMS. It is reported that a substantial offer has been refused for Bonnie Chela. , , Macedoine is to contest the Wellington Cup, and will be ridden by L. J'. Ellis. The Salmagundi mare came through her race at Invercargill very well. She will go on to Wellington on Tuesday in the care of her owner-trainer, R. E. McLelSascha has thrived on her holiday racing, and she was keen to get into her work recently when restricted to a round and a bit of half-pace. She will be ridden' in the Jockey Club Handicap by W. F. Ellis, and will be hard io dispose of in her present form. J A Rowland has written to the Dunedin Jockey Club asking for an explanation of the handicapping of Royal Brief in the Abbotsford Handicap (seven furlongs). In three seasons of fairly extensive racing Royal Brief has won only two races, both six furlong events, and yet he was handicapped at 8.12 in the Abbotsford Handicap, says Rowland. Royal Brief was unplaced in the Waikiwi Handicap (seven furlongs) at Invercargill, bu) the Dunedin handicapper raised him 3 lb. in the Abbotsford Handicap, while he dropped Carolyn, who finished fourth, 3 lbs. and the unplaced horses Last Effort and True Mate 5 lb. and 1 lb. respectively. Rowland wants to know why Royal Brief was not treated in the same way as the other unplaced horses, and why he was handicapped to meet Carolyn on 6 lb. worse terms. As a protest against the handicapping he scratched all his horses witn the exception of-Royal Chorus for the Dunedin meeting. ■ Miss Clorane will be spelled for a few months. , , , Manakore, who has been a great .disappointment, will be given a trial as a jumper. The’ two-year-old Liquidate, by Defaulter— Divinette has been taken in hand again and will be got ready for autumn racing. Palfrey has arrived at Trentham to prepare for the Wellington summer meeting, at which his mission will be the Wellington Cup, of two miles run on the opening day of the meeting on Saturday next. At his last start, Palfrey won the Dunedin Cup, of 15 miles, with 7.9, prior to which he was runner-up in the Metropolitan Handicap at Riccarton over a similar distance, and he was the unlucky runner in the New Zealand Cup, in which he was placed fourth. He will be ridden by his usual pilot, A Messervy in the Wellington Cup. ’Full Chase and Good Cast will not be sent to Trentham. They will come home to Riccarton and will be prepared quietly for autumn racing. L. Cavalier, who has a reputation for his handling of unruly horses, had the jtwo-year-old Lady Sylvia and the four-year-old mare Rata placed under his care recently. He has had them .at the track and apparently their manners have been improved. He hopes to have them racing in the autumn. Cavalier has made another start on Mr. J. M. Samson’s Gold Branch. The total of £7,850 was won by thirteen members of F. Smith’s Takanini stable at the Auckland Cup meeting. Smith saddled up seven winners of eight races. Lord Chancellor (Auckland Cup) was the mam contributor with £3,100, and he was followed by Royal Merit (£1.250), Sweet Biscuit (£1,000) My Bonnie (£600), Kentish (£562 10s). Jeff <"£425), High Span (£250), Balfron (£200), Sleepy Fox (£150). Beau Vaals (£ll2 10s), Plassida (£100). Coronaire (£so).' and Cambria (£5O). The trotter Danny Malone is now in a Canterbury stable It is reported that Will Cary has been sold to a Canterbury owner. Imperial Lady, the half-sister to Gold Bar. is now regarded as the best three-year-old of the season up to date. . ~ , m After winning the Auckland Trotting Cup and President’s Handicap, Loyal Friend tackled the Free-for-all’. He lost considerable ground at the start, but finished so fast that the judge’s verdict of half a head m favour of Parshall was greeted by a demonstration from a section oi the crowd. , . T Four of the winners at the Invercargill meeting, Bonnie Chela. Macedoine, Aurora Australis, and Sascha, claim Salamagundi as their sire. With Royal Flight and Sing gaining place money Salmagundi’s progeny won £1245 in stake money. All six are fillies or mares. The Whipper has always proved rather reluctant to line up at the barrier, and his presence was rather upsetting each day at Tauherenikau. Being sent to the outside in the scurry event on Tuesdav proved to be a blessing in disguise, for he secured a break at the start and it carried him through to victory. 'The turn of luck was overdue. Mimetical, who was purchased in this island last season byi the Gore owner-trainer J. R. Cochrane with a view to jumping, broke down at Wyndham and was destroyed. The Trantham-trained Great March went very close to victory in the highweight event on the first day at Tauherenikau and he was voted a good thing on the later day. However, he was taken to the front about three furlongs from home, and the early effort saw him beaten into third. Previously he had done best when reserved for a final run. Mr. H. E. Edmunds, of Palmerston North, the owner-tra'iner of Financial had to oe content with second nlacings with the Inflation colt at Tauherenikau. In both instances Financial had to come round the leaders, with the result that the additional ground covered meant the difference between defeat and victory.

Although the inner tracks at Trenthani 'are hard, the course proper carries a splendid sole of grass. Fed from the club’s own wafer supply. eight sprinklers delivei' 12,500 gallons an hour, and the racing track should be in great order next Saturday.

The sport of trotting and the Wellington Trotting Club, lost an enthusiast by the death of Mr. H. L. August, which occurred during the holidays at the age of 56 years. Mr. August was a steward of the Wellington Trotting Club for nearly 30 years. During that time he owned and raced horses in partnership with his brother. The most notable of them were Frisco Ladv, Frisco Boy, and Zolock Palm. Mr. August was also one of the older members of the Wellington Racing Club. On the first dav at the Wairaraoa meeting' Queen’s Charm lost his rider at the jump-out. and was badly left on the second day. However, he responded to hard riding to finish a poor third, and he might make amends. TIME LIMIT FOR RACES. There was some discussion among racing patrols following the running of the Clifford Plate at Ellerslie recently, regarding the eligibility of Neenah, who finished nearly Et minute after the other two runners. to third stake money. Neenah (states the New Zealand Herald), was well within the very liberal time Unfit imposed by the Rules of Racingwhich say that no race shall exceed 20 minutes in duration. After the expiration of that time from the start the judge must leave h’s box, and no hor.se which subsequently passes the winning post, may be placed. Any horse which has had an interrupted nassage in a race through falling may he remounted by anv person other than its jockev. and may claim any prize appropriate to his position in the event. THE DAY AFTER. After the races on Boxing Day much of the beauty of Ellerslie was lost under the mass of litter left _bv the crowd of 51,000 people. A thick

carpet of rdiper covered the lawns in front of the stands and the areas in the vicbinity of the totalisators were white/ with discarded tickets, racecards, i cigarette packets and newspapers/ Under the trees were hundreds off beer bottles, more paper and scran»,of food. Bottles were also strewn ■. along the flower borders fringing/ the lawns.